Winch with single point delivery



March 6, 1962 5, wo A 3,024,001

WINCH WITH SINGLE POINT DELIVERY Filed May 9. 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet lSTART, STOP, DIRECTION 5 AND SPEED CONTROL APPARATUS INVENTORS' DALE S.WORDE/V B{IfLl/IN J; NO/(Ef? ATTONEY I 3 March 6, 1962 D. s. WORDEN ETALWINCH WITH SINGLE POINT DELIVERY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 9, 1960INVENTORS DALE 5 WORDEA/ I3LV/N J. NO/(Efi? AT ORNEY 3,024,001 WMCH WITHSWGLE POINT DELIVERY Dale S. Worden, Salt Lake City, and Alvin .l'.Noker, Bountiful, Utah, assignors to Sperry Rand Corporation, GreatNeck, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed May 9, 1960, Ser. No. 27,73210 Claims. (Cl. 254-186) This invention relates to winches and moreparticularly to a winch having single-point cable receipt and delivery.

In accordance with the embodiment of the invention shown in thedrawings, a hollow cable drum is connected to a rotatable arbor forrotation therewith and axial movement relative thereto by a loadcarrying bearing means with a cage disposed between the drum and thearbor. The outer surface of the drum is provided with a helical ribdefining a helical groove in the drum sur face for receiving the cableas it is wound on the drum. Axial movement of the drum in response torotation of the drum is provided by a drum guide which bears against thesides of the groove to cam the drum axially to move it with relation tothe arbor between cable delivered and fully wound limits. The rotationresponsive axial translation of the drum between its travel limitspositions the cage of the bearing means axially with relation to thearbor so that the cable delivers at the fixed delivery point with theload between the drum and arbor carried by the bearing cage.

A further feature resides in the axial slot and contacting ball bearingsof the cage structure providing the bearing connection between the arborand drum.

Other features and structural details of the invention will be apparentfrom the following description when read in relation to the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a plan view partly in section of a hoist employing a winchembodying the features of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the winch shown in FIG. 1, the sectionbeing taken along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic representation of a gear system which may beemployed in the speed reducer of the winch of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of detail around one of the six similar setsof longitudinal raceways and associated ball bearings shown in FIG. 2.

Referring now to FIG. 1, the hollow housing or casing 10 of a winch 12forms the boom of a vertical hoist fixed to a frame 14. The opening atone end of the cylindrical chamber provided by the hollow casing isclosed by an end cap 16, while the opening at the other end of thechamber is closed by a motor hanger 18 and a motor 20 suitably securedto the hanger. The motor 20 may be of any suitable type, such ashydraulic, electric, etc., and the power source 19 and control 21 shownin block diagram connected through a line 23 to the motor areappropriate to the type of motor employed.

A hollow cable drum 22 is mounted on and coupled to a rotatable hollowarbor 24 for rotation therewith and axial movement relative theretothrough connecting hearing means disposed between the drum and thearbor.

The arbor 24 is driven by a transmission 26, for example a speedreducer, located internally thereof and splined at 27 to the end cap 16.Any suitable gear system may be employed in the transmission 26, forexample that shown in FIG. 3. The output 28 of the mtor 20 is coupledthrough a shaft 29 extending through the hollow arbor 24 to the input 30of the transmission 26.

The arbor 24 is journaled on end bearings 31 and 32 respectively carriedby the end cap 16 and the motor hanger 18. Accordingly, the arbor 24 issupported at the respective spaced end walls of the cylindrical chamber3,924,001 Patented Mar. 6, 1962 ice in the housing 10 for rotation aboutthe longitudinal axis of the chamber. The cable opening in the housing10 is between the spaced end walls of the chamber. Supplementary supportfor the input shaft of the transmission is provided by a bearing 33interposed between the. arbor 24 and the transmission input shaft 30.The output of the transmission 26 is at the same end as the input and istaken from a hollow output member 34, which encircles the input shaft30, and is splined to the arbor 24 at 36.

To provide for the bearing means connecting the arbor and drum, theexternal cylindrical wall of the arbor 24 has six peripherally uniformlyspaced axial ridges 37, each having a longitudinal groove 38 therein.Likewise, the drum has on its interior'surface, six axial ridges 39,each with a longitudinal groove 40. Each of the grooves 40 in the drumis aligned with a corresponding groove 38 in the arbor. Thus, there aresix pairs of corresponding grooves facing each other, the grooves in thearbor facing radially outward while those in the drum face radiallyinward. Each pair of corresponding grooves accommodates a plurality ofball bearings 42 held in a slotted bearing cage through which the cabledrum 22 is connected to the arbor 24. The grooves function as racewaysfor the ball bearings, and the latter connect the drum to the arbor formutual rotation while permitting the drum to move on the ball bearingsaxially relative to the arbor.

To promote as fully as possible rolling friction between the ballbearings of the bearing means connecting the respective drum and arborthroughout the entire axial travel of the drum between cable deliveredand fully wound, a cylindrical cage 44 is disposed in the radial spacebetween the arbor and the drum, and is provided with sixcircumferentially spaced axial slots 45 of an axial length thatsubstantially corresponds to the axial length of the cage, each alignedwith a corresponding pair of raceways. The ball bearings in each of thelongitudinal slots of the cage are arranged in contacting relationbetween its respective ends with enough clearance to prevent binding.

The cage 44 of the provided bearing means is of shorter axial lengththan the drum and arbor so that its ends do not axially abut any portionof the drum or the arbor except at approximately the limit of the axialdrum travel in each direction. In the provided bearing means as the drummoves axially, the balls roll by contact with the drum to move the cageaxially, instead of the cage moving the balls. The cage of the bearingmeans is of sufiicient axial length with relation to the axially longerdrum to have the load or payout point straddled by the caged bearings atall times, i.e. there are ball hearings in a direct line with thedelivery point of the cable for any axial position of the drum betweenits travel limits with relation to the arbor. These relations can beunderstood from the knowledge that for any given distance of axial drumtravel, the balls and cage will move half that distance, if the cage isunimpeded axially. In one direction, the cage 44 is limited from movingaxially beyond the drum by the ball bearings striking an abutment orexpanded retaining ring 46 at the left end of the drum (FIG. 1).Restraint in the other direction is provided by the end of the cagestriking an abutment 47 on the right end of the inner surface of thedrum (FIG. 1). To minimize friction loss, the clearance between the cageand drum is made less than the clearance between the cage and the arbor.In the improved structure, the ball bearing cage 44 is permitted axialtravel between determined limits so that the ball bearings roll ratherthan make a slide contact with the drum when the cage moves in an axialdirection. As the cage moves axially with the drum, the

position of the cage along the arbor axis with relation to the cabledelivery point is dependent on the axial position of the drum betweenits travel limits with relation to the arbor. The cage of the bearingmeans'is accordingly located with relation to the delivery point so asto carry the cable load between the drum and arbor.

A helical groove 48 formed in the drum 22, and defined by a helical rib49, receives a cable 50, which is wound on and off the drum through anaperture 51 in the casing 10, and through a cable guide block 52,secured to the casing and having a passageway 54 whose axis iscoincident with that of the cable 50 passing through the passagewaytangentially with respect to the cable-receiving surface of the drum,i.e. the passageway in the cable guide is oriented to guide the cable ata tangent to the outer surface of the drum. The cable 50 is attached tothe drum by means of a ball and socket arrangement wherein a ball 58,attached to the end of the cable, is received in a restraining socket 60formed in the drum surface.

Axial translation of the drum 22 in response to rotation thereof isefiected by means of screw or worm action provided by cooperativeengagement between a relatively fixed drum guide 62 and the sides of thegroove 48 which, in response to rotation of the drum, react to impartlongitudinal movement to the drum in an axial direction depending uponthe direction of drum rotation. The reaction between the helical rib 49and the drum guide 62 may also be referred to as a camming action,wherein the drum is cammed axially in response to drum rotation. Thedrum guide 62 passing through an aperture 63 in the casing 10, extendsbetween adjacent convolutions of the helical rib 49 to engage one or theother side of groove 48 depending on direction of drum rotation. Thedrum guide 62 is attached to the casing 10, and to reduce slidingfriction between the guide 62 and the sides of the groove 48, the guide62 is carried by a spindle 64 journaled for rotation in a bearing 66secured to the block 52.

In general operation of the apparatus, the start, the speed, thedirection, and the stop of the motor 26 are controlled by the motorenergizing and control circuits 19 and 21, which, if desired, mayinclude limit switches responsive to desired limits of cable or drumtravel. Whenthe motor is operated in a particular direction, its outputthrough shaft 29 drives the transmission 26. In turn, the transmissionoutput 34 drives the arbor 24 in a direction depending on the motordirection, for example clockwise (FIG. 2), the direction to deliver thecable 50 from the drum 22. As the drum rotates, the delivered cablepasses out of the housing through the cable guide, tension being appliedto the cable either by a load or the weight of the cable and of the loadhandling apparatus attached to the end of the cable. As the drum rotatesclockwise (FIG. 2), the drum guide 62 engages the left side of thegroove 48 (FIG. 1), thereby forcing the drum to move axially to the leftas the cable is payed out through the cable guide. The action stops orreverses in response to the respective stop or reversal of the motor.Upon reversal of the motor 2th the drum 22 is driven counterclockwise(FIG. 2) and the cable is wound on the drum through the cable guide, asthe drum is forced to move axially to the right (FIG. 1), by the drumguide 62, which now engages the right side of the groove 48. Thiscontinues until the motor is stopped or reversed. Thus single-pointcable receipt and delivery is provided at the drum by the axial movementof the drum resulting from the reaction of the drum against the drumguide 62 in response to rotation of the drum. In addition to better andprecise load control, the single-point delivery makes it easier to sealthe apparatus from the surrounding atmosphere. Protection of the ballbearing connection between the arbor and the drum against weather anddust that might enter the casing through the cable guide is provided byseals in the form of axially compressible and expandable bellows-shapedboots 72 and 74 made of resilient materia such as rubber. These bootsencircle the arbor 24, their outer ends being fastened to the outer endsof the arbor 24-, while their inner ends are secured to opposite ends ofthe drum 22.

The depth of the groove 48 and the radial clearance between the innersurface of the casing 16 and the helical rib 49 are dimensioned toprevent cable pinching and groove changing, and to provide asufficiently large hearing area for the drum guide 62. To prevent groovechanging, the clearance between the helical rib and the casing must beless than the diameter of the cable, and to avoid pinching, theclearance must be considerably less than the diameter of the cable. Innormal operation the cable lying in the helical groove 48 must clear thecasing 10. However, the radial clearance between the casing 10 and thecable as it lies in the groove 48 is small enough to provideself-braking by expansion of the cable coils against the inner surfaceof the casing in response to back pressure on the cable or to slack dueto sudden loss of load.

An extremely compact unit results from the particulararrangement'wherein the motor and the transmission extend into oppositeends of the hollow drum-carrying arbor, and motor and transmission arecoupled by a shaft extending through the hollow of the arbor.

Although the invention is described in connection with its use inhoisting apparatus and in a position wherein the cable is emittedhorizontally, employing a pulley 76 to change direction, it can bemounted in various planes, employing a direct or indirect cable pull,and is readily adapted to other uses such as pulling, hauling etc.

While the form of the embodiment of the invention as herein disclosedconstitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other formsmight be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims whichfollow.

What is claimed is:

l. A winch of the fixed point of cable delivery type including a housinghaving a cylindrical chamber with spaced end walls and a fixed deliveryopening therein between its end walls, an arbor supported at therespective end walls of the housing for rotation about the longitudinalaxis of the chamber, a hollow drum encircling the arbor and concentricto the axis of the chamber having an outer surface on which cable iswound, bearing means connecting the arbor and drum to rotate the drumabout the axis of the chamber to wind and deliver cable, permit movementof the drum axially along the axis of the chamber with relation to thearbor between cable delivered and full wound limits, and carry the cableload between the drum and arbor at the fixed delivery opening in thehousing including a ball bearing cage disposed between the drum andarbor having a plurality of circumferentially spaced slots extendingparallel to the axis of the chamber with a plurality of ball bearingstherein operating in correspondingly located axial raceways in therespective arbor and drum whose position along the longitudinal axiswith relation to the delivery opening is dependent on the axial positionof the drum between its travel limits with relation to the arbor, meansfor rotating the connected arbor, cage and drum about the axis of thechamber, and means dependent on the rotation of the drum for moving thedrum between its travel limits to position the bearing cage axially withrelation to the arbor so that the cable delivers at the fixed deliveryopening in the housing with the load between the drum and arbor carriedby the cage bearings.

2. A winch of the character claimed in claim 1 including means forlimiting the axial travel of the bearing cage with relation to the drum.

3. A winch of the character claimed in claim 1, that includes acollapsible boot for covering the bearing means connecting the arbor anddrum having a first part extending between one end of the drum and oneend of the arbor and a second part extending between the other end ofthe drum and the other end of the arbor.

4. A winch of the character claimed in claim 1 in which the dispositionof the bearing cage between the arbor and drum is such that itsclearance with respect to the drum is less than its clearance withrespect to the arbor.

5. In a winch, a housing with a cable chamber therein having spaced endwalls and a fixed delivery point for the cable between its end walls, anarbor supported at the respective end walls of the housing for rotationabout an axis, a hollow drum encircling and concentric to the axis ofthe arbor having an outer surface on which cable is wound, bearing meansconnecting the arbor and drum to rotate the drum to wind and delivercable, permit axial movement of the drum with relation to the arborbetween cable delivered and fully wound limits, and carry the cable loadbetween the drum and arbor at the fixed cable delivery point of thehousing including a bearing cage disposed between the drum and arbor ofan axial length shorter than that of the drum having a plurality ofcircumferentially spaced slots extending parallel to the axis of thearbor with a plurality of bearings therein operating in correspondinglylocated axial raceways in the respective arbor and drum whose positionalong the arbor axis with relation to the delivery point is dependent onthe axial position of the drum between its travel limits with relationto the arbor, means for rotating said connected arbor, cage and drumabout the axis of the arbor, and means dependent on the rotation of thedrum for moving the drum between its travel limits to position thebearing cage axially with relation to arbor so that the cable deliversat the fixed delivery point of the housing with the cable load betweenthe drum and arbor carried by the cage bearings.

6. A winch of the character claimed in claim 5, in which the drumincludes respective abutments for limiting the axial travel of thebearing cage with relation thereto.

7. A winch of the character claimed in claim 5, that includes a firstcollapsible boot encircling the arbor connected at one end to the drumand connected at the other end to the end of the arbor adjacent the oneend of the drum, and a second collapsible boot encircling the arborconnected at one end to the other end of the drum and connected at theother end to the end of the arbor adjacent the other end of the drum.

8. A winch of the character claimed in claim 5, in which the dispositionof the bearing cage between the arbor and drum is such that itsclearance with respect to the arbor is greater than its clearance withrespect to the drum.

9. In a winch, a housing with a cable chamber therein having spaced endwalls and a fixed delivery point for the cable between its end walls, anarbor supported at the respective end walls of the housing for rotationabout an axis, a hollow drum encircling and concentric to the axis ofthe arbor having an outer surface on which cable is wound, bearing meansconnecting the arbor and drum to rotate the drum about the axis of thearbor to wind and deliver cable, permit axial movement of the drum withrelation to the arbor between cable delivered and fully wound limits,and carry the cable load between the drum and arbor at the fixeddelivery point of the housing including a ball bearing cage disposedbetween the drum and arbor having a plurality of circumferentiallyspaced slots extending parallel to the axis of the arbor with aplurality of ball bearings therein operating in correspondingly locatedaxial raceways in the respective arbor and drum whose position along thearbor axis with relation to the delivery point is dependent on the axialposi tion of the drum between its travel limits with relation to thearbor, means for rotating said connected arbor, cage and drum about theaxis of the arbor, and means dependent on the rotation of the drum formoving the drum between its travel limits to position the bearing cageaxially with relation to the arbor so that the cable delivers at thefixed delivery point of the housing with the cable load between the drumand arbor carried by the cage bearings.

10. A winch of the character claimed in claim 9, in which the axiallength of the slots of the cage of the bearing means substantiallycorresponds to the axial length of the cage, and the ball hearings inthe longitudinal slots are arranged in contacting relation between itsrespective ends.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,684,988 Homan Sept. 18, 1928 2,562,729 Merwin July 31, 1951 2,594,484Nixon Apr. 29, 1952 2,868,504 Minty Jan. 13, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS725,687 Great Britain Mar. 9, 1955

